They say that water is a great way to attract wildlife to your garden.
So a couple of weekends ago we began to dig.
Now that I have an allotment I've actually been redesigning the old veg patch,
so where the strawberries and gooseberries once lived we now have a pond!
Before you tut...we used mainly water butt water and now rain water to fill it up.
We also don't have a hose pipe ban and due to all the rain the water butt is now full up again!
It's a fun thing...we are like proud parents!
If you know my garden you might notice the shed has moved..now that's another story!
I love the view from the shed, it's like a hide.
I have spent a few minutes waiting for wildlife, but nothing has turned up yet!
This corner is my new favourite place to sit.
We had our breakfast here on Sunday morning.
Water gardening is a whole new world to me...I like how I can take beach style photos in my back garden.
I'm learning about water plants, a department I've never looked at.
We bought some elodea for oxygenation and a bull rush to start.
Because I know you will ask I will try and answer your ponderings.
pond size is approx 2.5m x 1.5m
it's mainly shallow, with the deepest part approx 1.5ft
we bought a cheap pvc 3m x 4m from B&Q
(as we were unsure, we went for cheapness as opposed to correctness)
a bog garden was created around the pond with the extra liner
the pond was lined with 6 bags of soft sand
a shallow end was created to allow creatures to escape
this is a wildlife pond so no fish
It's a work in progress...
it's all about the pond right now,
I even sat out there in the rain yesterday.
Now we need some ground cover water plants to hide the liner edge
and a few more rocks.
The old sleeper is quite hollow, I have plans to fill it with ferns.
I can see this is going to be an exciting development for summer...
have you got any plans for your patch?
Water can be squeezed into the smallest corner, or maybe even in a tub.
ahhh water lily research needed....
I really looking forward to seeing who moves into your pond!!!
ReplyDeleteThose water plants can be vigorous so you need to be vigilant! The pondlife fauna may need to be introduced from another pond - depending on what you want in there...? Frog spawn anyone?
ReplyDeleteWe have a pond and it does attract wildlife. I had 2 beautiful coy fish in it for over a year. They were my pets. A crane swooped down and had them for a meal. I enjoy seeing pics of your allotment. They're great! Deb.
ReplyDeleteYou might remember that my pond is made from a dustbin lid! but it attracts toads and damsel flies in the summer. Yours looks gorgeous Claire xxxx
ReplyDeleteIt looks great!
ReplyDeleteWonderful, wonderful, wonderful...I am so envious, I have been wanting a pond for ever...you have inspired me! I am going to get planning. I WILL have a pond this summer as well ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think I may folow Diane's lead and make a pond from a dustbin lid! I dug a pond out a couple of years ago and then filled it all in again when I realised it was on sloping ground! I look forward to seeing how your wildlife pond develops. It looks like it is going to be great fun! Thank you for your words on my blog Clare. They really are appreciated. x
ReplyDeleteI think I need to inspect your new pond a bit closer! It's lovely with all the pebbles.
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Brilliant! Really good :-)
ReplyDeleteFrogs will come of their own accord - they can smell water! Do not add spawn from another pond - it is against the law.
You may want to consider dedicating a corner of the outside of the pond as an overgrown patch, somewhere for frogs/toads/newts to leave the pond into the safety of overgrowth, and then use it as cover to get to somewhere else. Frogs don't spend that much time in the water, they prefer to hide in the damp/shade :-)
You may see birdies coming down for a bath too!
L x
you are making me quite jealous.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Ok, first of all, I have water feature envy. Secondly, I had to google water butt. It turns out I, too, have a water butt, I've just been calling it a rain barrel this whole time ;-) Good times swapping English across the pond. I know you'll get to see lots of frogs and birds this summer!
ReplyDelete